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The Devils will make the playoffs and its because of their remaining schedule...

Team Concept

Team Concept

Registered User
Jul 11, 2002
1,733
340
Wingdale, New York
When you look at the Eastern conference there are 3 teams that are a given to make the playoffs. They are Boston, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay. That leaves 5 remaining spots out of 10 possible contenders (Rangers, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Flyers, Captials, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Senators, Devils).

The Devils have 2 things going for them and its huge:

1. They have the greatest number of home games left in relationship to away games. Going into tonights game they have 17 home games left and only 11 away games. The only team with a similar favorable schedule left of the 10 contenders mentioned above are the Flyers with 16 homes games left versus 12 on the road. All of the 10 contenders except for the Flyers and the Devils have more road games left compared to home games.

2. Now in the NHL there are 8 elite teams. They are the only teams in the league with a winning record both at home and on the road. These 8 teams are Boston, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Colorado. The Devils in their remaining 28 games only have 5 games left against any of these 8 teams which happens to be the least percentage of games left versus the elite 8.

NEW JERSEY 28 left 5 hard 82.1 easier
RANGERS 27 left 6 hard 77.7 easier
CAROLINA 29 left 7 hard 75.8 easier
COLUMBUS 29 left 8 left 72.4 easier
DETROIT 29 left 9 hard 68.9 easier
OTTAWA 29 left 10 hard 65.5 easier
TORONTO 27 left 9 hard 66.6 easier
MONTREAL 29 left 12 hard 58.6 easier
WASHINGTON 29 left 13 left 55.1 easier
PHILADELPHIA 28 left 14 hard 50.0 easier

Based on the circumstances above I confidently state because of their remaining schedule that believe it or not Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Washington, and Philadelphia WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS.
 
nothing this team has done has shown me that they are a playoff team, even in a weak division.

their longest winning streak is three games, and that happened once.
 
So I'm supposed to believe the Devils will make the playoffs because of their schedule when they have a boatload of losses to Winnipeg, the Isles, Buffalo, Edmonton, Calgary and Phoenix this year? Or that all those teams will somehow fall by the wayside because of tough schedules when they're playing each other a lot of the time? Someone's gotta win those games.

Think of it this way, the Devils most likely have to get around 92 points to make the playoffs. Teams will make trades, improve, points will be harder to come by as teams get more desperate. You really think this Devils team will get 37 points over its last 28 games? When as has been pointed out we have had one three-game winning streak in our last 100+ games? We're going to need to go on streaks at some point to be nine over in the last 28 games.
 
Team Concept said:
When you look at the Eastern conference there are 3 teams that are a given to make the playoffs. They are Boston, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay. That leaves 5 remaining spots out of 10 possible contenders (Rangers, Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Flyers, Captials, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Canadiens, Senators, Devils).

The Devils have 2 things going for them and its huge:

1. They have the greatest number of home games left in relationship to away games. Going into tonights game they have 17 home games left and only 11 away games. The only team with a similar favorable schedule left of the 10 contenders mentioned above are the Flyers with 16 homes games left versus 12 on the road. All of the 10 contenders except for the Flyers and the Devils have more road games left compared to home games.

2. Now in the NHL there are 8 elite teams. They are the only teams in the league with a winning record both at home and on the road. These 8 teams are Boston, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, St. Louis, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Colorado. The Devils in their remaining 28 games only have 5 games left against any of these 8 teams which happens to be the least percentage of games left versus the elite 8.

NEW JERSEY 28 left 5 hard 82.1 easier
RANGERS 27 left 6 hard 77.7 easier
CAROLINA 29 left 7 hard 75.8 easier
COLUMBUS 29 left 8 left 72.4 easier
DETROIT 29 left 9 hard 68.9 easier
OTTAWA 29 left 10 hard 65.5 easier
TORONTO 27 left 9 hard 66.6 easier
MONTREAL 29 left 12 hard 58.6 easier
WASHINGTON 29 left 13 left 55.1 easier
PHILADELPHIA 28 left 14 hard 50.0 easier

Based on the circumstances above I confidently state because of their remaining schedule that believe it or not Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, Washington, and Philadelphia WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS.
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I have asked this question before why is it so important to make the playoffs? This team doesn't belong in the playoffs IMO and can't win more than 3 in a row. So what gives? A chance of a first round and out?
 
A) To actually have meaningful games in March and April?
B) To avoid losing a lottery pick?
 
There is no such thing as a hard or easy game in the NHL. They are all hard games. When have these Devils ever consistently beat up on weak teams? We play down to them, if anything.

The goodness or badness of a team is irrelevant compared to how they are playing that given night. Catching St. Louis on a rare off night on one hand, Getting shut out by Ray Emery on the other. If a good team is cold, they are bad, if a bad team is hot, they are good.

The Devils might make the playoffs, but our schedule isn't why.
 
Don't the devils have the 6th worst point total in the NHL? Why should they suddenly deviate from the norm?
 
The OP brings up some valid points. I mean a weaker schedule is favorable to a tougher one, no?

But yeah, I think the overwhelming mediocrity of the team severely trumps any advantage they may have schedule wise. At not one point this season has this group looked like a solid playoff team.
 
Sir Fenwick Corsi said:
The OP brings up some valid points. I mean a weaker schedule is favorable to a tougher one, no?

But yeah, I think the overwhelming mediocrity of the team severely trumps any advantage they may have schedule wise. At not one point this season has this group looked like a solid playoff team.
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When you're averaging 2.2 goals per game, you are in fact one of those weak sisters you refer to on the future schedule. That's the main problem with this team.
 
NC107 said:
I have asked this question before why is it so important to make the playoffs? This team doesn't belong in the playoffs IMO and can't win more than 3 in a row. So what gives? A chance of a first round and out?
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In any other year I would agree that its not that big of a deal. But since there is a chance that we would have had a lottery pick (if not for the Kovy penalty) and the fact that we are not going to have a 1st round pick then we have to go for it. Obviously, I think Lou has some measure of pride and he doesn't want to look bad that he could have given up the #29 pick a couple of years ago and chose not to.
 
Let's see what happens tonight if they **** the bed against a BAD Dallas Stars team. And then tomorrow night against a REALLY BAD Nashville Predators team. That's two very winnable games already knocked off our schedule.
 
Team Concept said:
In any other year I would agree that its not that big of a deal. But since there is a chance that we would have had a lottery pick (if not for the Kovy penalty) and the fact that we are not going to have a 1st round pick then we have to go for it. Obviously, I think Lou has some measure of pride and he doesn't want to look bad that he could have given up the #29 pick a couple of years ago and chose not to.
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OK it's a pride issue for Lou, screw Lou he made his bed. That makes sense.
 
NJDevs26 said:
So I'm supposed to believe the Devils will make the playoffs because of their schedule when they have a boatload of losses to Winnipeg, the Isles, Buffalo, Edmonton, Calgary and Phoenix this year? Or that all those teams will somehow fall by the wayside because of tough schedules when they're playing each other a lot of the time? Someone's gotta win those games.
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Yes this too. We've lost to so many AWFUL teams this year. Winnipeg TWICE, Buffalo, Edmonton, Calgary, Phoenix.

Hell, we are only 1-1-0 against Buffalo so far because we won a game 40 seconds before OT ended. We almost got shutout by Jhonas Enroth who has ONE win this season.

We were THAT close to getting shutout by a Buffalo team that has zero shutouts this year. I don't even think Ryan Miller has a shutout for them this year. And we came the closest out of any team to actually getting shutout by them. We almost got shutout twice, if not for a 5 on 3 goal in the middle of the 3rd period in our second game against them. In two games we haven't even scored one goal 5 on 5 against the Buffalo Sabres. Let that sink in.

Let's not forget going 0-2-1 against the CBJ so far. They were not on one of their streaks when beating us either.

So yeah the appealing schedule doesn't look so appealing to me.
 
Bleedred said:
Let's see what happens tonight if they **** the bed against a BAD Dallas Stars team. And then tomorrow night against a REALLY BAD Nashville Predators team. That's two very winnable games already knocked off our schedule.
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Bleed those two really bad teams have more wins than we do, and they play in the stronger West
I dont think these are easy wins, especially cause we're on the road, and we embarrassed the Predators when we spanked them in Newark
 
NC107 said:
How do they not lose a first round pick?
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I could care less about losing the #16-20 pick...but losing what might be a top ten pick is just going to be that much more galling and embarassing to the organization and fans when we could have just given up the #29 two years ago.
 
Bleedred said:
Let's see what happens tonight if they **** the bed against a BAD Dallas Stars team. And then tomorrow night against a REALLY BAD Nashville Predators team. That's two very winnable games already knocked off our schedule.
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Bleed if you check the standing of both the Stars and Nashville you will see that both are slightly better than the Devils in wins. So how are they BAD?

I bet we struggle against both teams. Cory is our only saviour, he has to have a shutout.
 
NJDevs26 said:
I could care less about losing the #16-20 pick...but losing what might be a top ten pick is just going to be that much more galling and embarassing to the organization and fans when we could have just given up the #29 two years ago.
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its like being in a football game, late in the fourth quarter, its 4th and goal on the 8 yard line, you're down by 3 with a reliable kicker, yet the coach says "lets go for 6, I know what I'm doing" and they run the ball and come up short
 
NJDevs26 said:
I could care less about losing the #16-20 pick...but losing what might be a top ten pick is just going to be that much more galling and embarassing to the organization and fans when we could have just given up the #29 two years ago.
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If they lose a top 10 pick, the status quo response isn't as easy to deliver.
 
How many games are more 'winnable' than these next two on our schedule? If we're going to make the playoffs we HAVE to win games like this against non playoff teams, even if they're above us. We especially have to start winning now before the deadline, if we fall 5+ points out it might (should) be sell, sell, sell time.
 
The 29th Pick said:
Bleed those two really bad teams have more wins than we do, and they play in the stronger West
I dont think these are easy wins, especially cause we're on the road, and we embarrassed the Predators when we spanked them in Newark
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Nothing is an easy win for this team. I'm not exactly saying we're a good team either.

0 goals scored at 5 on 5 against the Sabres in two games. That's all that needs to be said.
 
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